Abstract
In this paper, multiplicity distributions of charged particles produced in 14.5 A GeV/c Si-28-AgBr interactions and the events generated by Monte Carlo models, FRITIOF and HIJING, are analysed using Scaled Factorial Moments (SFMs) approach in terms of the Ginzburg-Landau formalism. The reported power-law behaviour of the higher-order and second-order scaled factorial moments is searched for in the experimental and simulated data. The analysis of anomalous fractal dimensions does not favour occurrence of any exotic phenomenon. Further, the values of the slopes, beta(q), are used to determine a universal scaling exponent, nu, for both the experimental and simulated data in terms of Ginzburg-Landau approach in order to investigate the nature of phase transition from the de-confined quark-gluon medium to the confined hadronic state. The analysis indicates that the values of nu for the experimental and FRITIOF data compare reasonably well with its critical value. Nevertheless, the value of nu for the HIJING data is in marked disagreement. This may be attributed to the fact that local fluctuations are not addressed effectively by HIJING model; however, it successfully explains the phenomenon of flow. Finally, some evidences regarding second-order phase transition are found.